The present invention relates to a canopy, and particularly, to a canopy used with a juvenile seat. More particularly, the present invention relates to a canopy and canopy frame used with an infant or juvenile seat.
Canopies are used with infant or juvenile seats to protect a child from inclement weather conditions, such as hot sun, wind, rain, and snow. Canopies for juvenile seats frequently are positioned over the juvenile seat to cover at least a child""s head and upper torso from such weather conditions. Since weather can change frequently and unexpectedly, it is desirable to have a canopy assembly having some components already coupled to the juvenile seat, the remaining components attaching rapidly to provide a protective cover for the child.
According to the present disclosure, a juvenile seat unit includes a seat and a canopy support movable relative to the seat to raise and lower a canopy with respect to the seat. The canopy support includes a hub coupled to each side of the seat and a hub mount ring anchored to each of the hubs to rotate about a hub axis associated therewith.
An arched canopy frame is included in the juvenile seat unit and is coupled to the hub mount rings to rotate therewith. An interface between at least one of the hubs and its companion hub mount ring provides means for releasably retaining the arched canopy frame in a fixed position relative to the seat selected by the user so that a canopy carried on the canopy support can be retained in a selected position relative to the seat.
Each hub mount ring is formed to include an inner edge defining a circular aperture receiving one of the hubs therein. Each hub mount ring is able to rotate about its companion hub as the arched canopy frame is moved by a user to a selected position.
In preferred embodiments, the interface between each hub and its companion hub mount ring is established by peripherally spaced-apart, radially outwardly extending teeth on the hub and radially inwardly extending teeth on the hub mount ring. The hub mount ring teeth mate with the hub teeth to retain the arched canopy frame in a fixed position relative to the seat at the option of the user.
Each hub mount rim includes first and second C-shaped sections arranged to extend around one of the hubs provided on the side of the seat. The first C-shaped section of each hub mount ring is coupled to the arched canopy frame. Two extensible accordion links are included in each hub mount ring and arranged to interconnect the first and second C-shaped sections so that those sections can move relative to one another.
The canopy support preferably includes two arched canopy frames that cooperate to support the canopy over the seat when the canopy is raised and alongside the seat when the canopy is lowered. Thus, two hub mount rings are anchored to each of the hubs. A first of the arched canopy frames is coupled to a first pair of the hub mount rings and a second of the arched canopy frames is coupled to a second pair of the hub mount rings so that each arched canopy frame can be rotated about an axis extending through the hubs (relative to the seat and to the other arched canopy frame) to raise and lower the canopy.
Features of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the following detailed description of preferred embodiments exemplifying the best mode of carrying out the invention as presently perceived.